Stingray partners with Via Rail

Media | 08/08/2017 5:37 pm EDT

Stingray Digital Group Inc. will offer free access to its Stingray Music mobile app to Via Rail...

CBS All Access expanding into Canada

Media | 08/08/2017 4:24 pm EDT

CBS Corp. will launch its CBS All Access streaming service in Canada next year, the company said in a...

Quebecor, Shaw to benefit from 600 MHz set-asides: analysts

telecom | 08/08/2017 3:27 pm EDT

Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron and Shaw Communications Inc.’s Freedom Mobile will be the big winners if Innovation Canada goes ahead with its plans to set aside spectrum for smaller players in the...

ISED mulling set-asides for 600 MHz spectrum

telecom | 08/04/2017 4:38 pm EDT

Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED) Canada is looking to bolster wireless competition by...

CRTC calls for comments on VOD, discretionary service dispute tool

Media | 08/04/2017 1:13 pm EDT

The CRTC is asking for feedback on whether it should add dispute-resolution provisions to its newly created Discretionary Services Regulations. In a call for consultations posted Friday, the regulator said the new single set of regulations, which merges a pair of regulations governing pay TV and specialty services that reflect the Let’s Talk TV framework — posted in a separate decision Friday that come into force on Sept. 1 — include a mechanism for disputes between broadcasting...

Service restored after cut cable cripples Bell, Telus network

telecom | 08/04/2017 11:15 am EDT

A cut cable crippled the shared network of BCE Inc. and Telus Corp. in...

CSE watching proposed U.S. IoT security bill

telecom | 08/03/2017 4:39 pm EDT

Four United States senators are proposing a bill that would require minimum cybersecurity standards for Internet of Things (IoT) devices bought by federal agencies. The bipartisan Internet of Things (IoT) Cybersecurity...

Bell subs feel impact of ‘aggressive’ cable competition in Q2

telecom | 08/03/2017 2:22 pm EDT

BCE Inc. is hoping the second half of the year results in a boost for its...

IoT connections to factor into roaming agreements: Juniper

telecom | 08/03/2017 1:03 pm EDT

The proliferation of Internet of Things (IoT) devices means the technology will need to be included in roaming agreements in the future, according to a new report by Juniper Research. “Juniper...

Freedom cites ‘suspicious patterns’ in Iristel traffic pumping case

telecom | 08/02/2017 4:00 pm EDT

Shaw Communications Inc.’s Freedom Mobile says that its decision not to...

Shaw adds unlimited option to most-popular internet plan

telecom | 08/01/2017 3:58 pm EDT

Shaw Communications Inc. is adding an unlimited usage option to its...

Transparency reporting in Canada: still opaque?

telecom | 07/31/2017 4:15 pm EDT

Without an Edward Snowden-like scandal, exposing inappropriate government access of citizens’ personal...

Self-driving car crosses U.S.-Canada border

telecom | 07/31/2017 3:35 pm EDT

The first cross-border test in North America involving self-driving vehicles took place Monday with a...

Telecoms call for 20-year term for AWS-1, no R&D minimum

telecom | 07/31/2017 2:03 pm EDT

Canada’s largest wireless providers told Innovation Canada that they support its suggested 20-year term for AWS-1 and G Block Spectrum, but asked the department to eliminate a research and development requirement tied to the licences. Last month, ISED began a consultation on the renewal process for AWS-1 and other spectrum licences it auctioned off in 2008, in which it noted that those who currently hold licences have a “high expectation of renewal unless a breach of licence condition has occurred.” In comments posted on the ISED website Friday, the Canadian Wireless...

Non-profit gives tech leg up to telecoms, smaller businesses

telecom | 07/28/2017 4:09 pm EDT

Canada’s big three wireless providers are now cooperating on a...

CRTC asks telecoms about MVNOs, plans for low-income customers

telecom | 07/28/2017 12:41 pm EDT

The CRTC is asking wireless service providers about whether they’ve been approached by potential mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) and their service offerings for low-income individuals....

BDU revenue losses accelerate to 2.1%: CRTC

Media | 07/27/2017 5:10 pm EDT

Canadian TV providers’ revenues dropped 2.1 per cent in 2016 — a marked increase from the 0.1 per...

CWTA starting 5G group

telecom | 07/26/2017 5:19 pm EDT

A new group focusing on 5G technology in Canada held its first meeting Wednesday. The objective of the 5G Canada Council is to “promote a vibrant 5G ecosystem in...

Deny TerreStar ask for more spectrum, telecoms tell ISED

telecom | 07/26/2017 3:17 pm EDT

TerreStar Solutions Inc. is asking Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED) Canada to hand it more spectrum so it can effectively deploy its current AWS-4 holdings and begin work on a new national fixed wireless and satellite service, a request that some telecoms...

Little mention of telecom in B.C. gov’t mandate letters

telecom | 07/26/2017 12:49 pm EDT

Though included in its platform, the mandate letters for the cabinet...

Gov’t awards $13.2M contract for mobile satellite comms

telecom | 07/26/2017 12:46 pm EDT

The federal government will spend $13.2 million on mobile satellite telecom equipment that it says will improve communication for public servants working abroad or in remote locations. Shared...

Telus offering communication service for doctors

telecom | 07/26/2017 11:31 am EDT

Telus Corp. said Wednesday it has launched a service that allows doctors to communicate with each...

Bell providing customers energy management through IoT

telecom | 07/25/2017 5:35 pm EDT

Business customers of BCE Inc.’s network will be able to use an energy...

Scheer backs Que. calls for roadside wireless coverage

telecom | 07/25/2017 4:42 pm EDT

Opposition leader Andrew Scheer has added his voice to a campaign in Quebec...

Google turns to U.S. courts over Equustek decision

Media | 07/25/2017 12:58 pm EDT

Alphabet Inc.’s Google is challenging the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) to order...

Videotron-Freedom spectrum sale complete

telecom | 07/24/2017 4:24 pm EDT

Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron has closed its spectrum sale to Shaw Communications Inc.’s Freedom Mobile, the company announced Monday. The $430-million transaction of seven 2500MHz and 700MHz licences in southern Ontario,...

Guy Laurence joins Veon board

telecom | 07/24/2017 11:54 am EDT

The former CEO of Rogers Communications Inc., Guy Laurence, has been elected to the supervisory board...

BlackBerry call encryption approved for U.S. government

telecom | 07/21/2017 4:12 pm EDT

Blackberry Ltd. will now be able to provide its mobile device cybersecurity technology to the United States government. The company said in a Thursday release that its multi-platform encryption technology, known as SecuSuite and also available to the Canadian...

$16M in Connecting Canadians funds going to Que. communities

telecom | 07/21/2017 3:43 pm EDT

The government will dip into its Connecting Canadians program to subsidize high-speed internet in 13 rural and remote communities in Quebec. More than 2,800 households in Saint-Damien and...

U.S. broadcasters look to resume retransmission row

Media | 07/21/2017 2:52 pm EDT

A group of American TV stations seems to be renewing its efforts to put compensation for signals...

CRTC consulting on MVNO rules

telecom | 07/21/2017 11:07 am EDT

The CRTC has launched a consultation on changing its wholesale wireless roaming rules, following a call...

Rogers aims to improve churn, ‘reset’ enterprise division

Media | 07/20/2017 5:16 pm EDT

Joe Natale, president and CEO of Rogers Communications Inc., reiterated...

Rogers intros connected car monitoring device

telecom | 07/19/2017 5:31 pm EDT

Rogers Communications Inc. has launched a device that allows users to monitor vehicle maintenance and safety via connectivity to the network. Using an accompanying app, the Rogers Smart Drive device, announced Wednesday, will allow customers to track their car’s...

Prioritize public funding for digitally underserved areas: report

telecom | 07/19/2017 3:53 pm EDT

The federal government should focus on funding digital connectivity in rural and remote communities and provide tax incentives to boost private sector infrastructure spending, suggests a new report...

New CRTC vice-chair not afraid of tough issues: ISED PS

Media | 07/19/2017 12:22 pm EDT

The CRTC’s incoming vice-chairwoman of broadcasting, Caroline Simard, has...

Quebec class action over Bell rate increases to proceed

telecom | 07/19/2017 11:51 am EDT

The Quebec Superior Court has approved a class-action lawsuit against BCE Inc. for unilaterally changing the terms of contracts for its internet, landline, wireless and telephone services. The...

Dirk Woessner leaving Rogers

telecom | 07/18/2017 5:34 pm EDT

Rogers Communications Inc.’s president of consumer business, Dirk Woessner, is leaving the company and...

Roaming revenues to fall 11% after EU ban: Juniper

telecom | 07/18/2017 4:49 pm EDT

The European Union’s elimination of roaming charges has pushed global mobile roaming revenue numbers down, according to a new report by Juniper Research. The EU recently said it was eliminating roaming charges after it came...

U.S. calling for better access to Canadian telecom market in new NAFTA

telecom | 07/18/2017 4:25 pm EDT

The United States is calling for its North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) partners to limit restrictions and make it easier for its companies to compete in their telecommunications markets....

Ian Scott ‘collegial’ choice for new CRTC chair: former colleagues

Media | 07/18/2017 11:49 am EDT

The choice of Ian Scott as the new chairman of the CRTC was greeted...

Bains talks collaboration on autonomous cars in U.S.

telecom | 07/17/2017 5:19 pm EDT

Autonomous cars are one promising area for collaboration between Canada and the United States, Innovation...

Split CRTC into two regulators, ISOC tells gov’t

Media | 07/17/2017 4:46 pm EDT

The government should consider dividing the CRTC into separate telecom and broadcast regulators partly to ensure both issues get a fair view, according to a letter from the Internet Society of Canada (ISOC). The letter, dated Friday and directed to Heritage Minister Melanie Joly and Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains, made a number of suggestions regarding the government’s plans to review the Broadcasting and Telecommunication Acts, announced in the budget. “ISOC Canada considers that there are no longer synergies to be had by combining broadcasting regulation with...

Videotron facing patent infringement claim from TiVo

Media | 07/17/2017 4:26 pm EDT

Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron is being sued for patent infringement by TiVo Inc. and one of its...

Cogeco’s U.S. cable prospects more promising: Barclays

telecom | 07/17/2017 2:40 pm EDT

Cogeco Inc. can look to cable in the United States to see sustained growth compared to a harsher cable market in Canada, according to Barclays Capital analyst Phillip Huang. “Relative to...

Cogeco reports higher revenues and profit in Q3

Media | 07/14/2017 3:11 pm EDT

Cogeco Inc. reported stronger revenues and profits for its fiscal third quarter, the first earnings...

Mobile banking use up to 43%: J.D. Power

telecom | 07/13/2017 3:47 pm EDT

Canadians’ use of smartphones for banking activities has nearly doubled over the past three years, according to a new report by J.D. Power. The Canadian Retail Banking Satisfaction Study, released Thursday, found that mobile...

G20 heads call for lawful access cooperation in anti-terror statement

telecom | 07/12/2017 5:19 pm EDT

A joint statement from G20 leaders stemming from their two-day meeting last week in Hamburg, Germany, pledges co-operation on fighting terrorism in part by looking for links...

Growth of Canadians on social networks slowing: report

Media | 07/12/2017 5:02 pm EDT

Canada’s social network usage is projected to grow steadily over the next four years but growth will slow compared to previous years, according to a report by research company eMarketer Inc. The...

FCC’s net neutrality changes could affect Canada, some experts say

telecom | 07/12/2017 4:37 pm EDT

On Wednesday, major internet and tech companies teamed up to rally against...

Bell quad-band LTE-A network live in nearly 40 cities

telecom | 07/12/2017 1:46 pm EDT

BCE Inc.’s new quad band LTE-advanced (LTE-A) service is now live in nearly 40 cities in eight provinces, the company announced Wednesday. In an email, spokeswoman Jacqueline Michelis said the technology is now available...

Five free data hours for Fido customers

telecom | 07/12/2017 11:32 am EDT

Customers of Rogers Communications Inc.’s flanker brand, Fido, are being offered free wireless data...

Alaraby Television Network approved for distribution

Media | 07/11/2017 5:29 pm EDT

The CRTC approved Tuesday an application by sponsor Ethnic Channels Group Ltd. to add Alaraby Television Network to its list of non-Canadian channels authorized for distribution. Ethnic Channels group said in its...

ADR files GIC petition over ignored emergency alert system

telecom | 07/11/2017 5:22 pm EDT

The federal cabinet should overturn a spring CRTC decision mandating...

Western Canada, Quebec to get Connecting Canadians funding

telecom | 07/11/2017 4:43 pm EDT

Following a pledge last week to connect certain Quebec communities, the federal government will once again dip into its Connecting Canadians fund to provide capital to the tune of $10 million for...

ISED approves Videotron spectrum transfer to Freedom

telecom | 07/11/2017 11:30 am EDT

Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED) has approved the transfer of spectrum licences from Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron to Shaw Communications Inc.’s Freedom Mobile. ISED said in a Monday release that the...

How serious is the CRTC’s ‘unprecedented’ lack of commissioners?

Media | 07/10/2017 4:58 pm EDT

At the end of this week, following the departure of its vice-chairman of telecom, the CRTC will be left operating with only four commissioners and an interim chairwoman with...

Reseller registration delayed to 2018

telecom | 07/10/2017 4:44 pm EDT

Telecom service resellers will have an extra year to comply with a CRTC order to register with the regulator. A January order “directed all non-carriers with existing service contracts or other arrangements with Canadian...

‘Battle for the Net’ coming Wednesday

Media | 07/10/2017 2:23 pm EDT

Major internet-based companies and organizations are preparing to participate in a Wednesday campaign...

ISED consulting on leftover spectrum licensing

telecom | 07/10/2017 9:49 am EDT

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) has launched a consultation on the licensing of unassigned or returned spectrum. That includes three 700MHz licences in the North, 62 licences in the 2500 MHz band, as...

Canadian fibre connections grow to 10 per cent: OECD

telecom | 07/07/2017 1:54 pm EDT

The increase in Canadian fibre broadband subscriptions slowed in 2016, slipping to ninth in growth among 35 Organization for Co-operation and Economic Development (OECD) countries. According to December 2016 numbers released...

Rogers increases data overage fees

telecom | 07/06/2017 5:44 pm EDT

Rogers Communications Inc. has increased its mobile data overage rates to a cost per gigabyte of $70 for new plans. The changes, instituted Wednesday, include a two-cent increase per megabyte — to seven cents from five — for data going over the cap on new plans, a Rogers spokesperson confirmed over email. It will apply to both new customers and those who change or update their existing plan. That means one gigabyte of extra data could cost customers $70 — a $20 increase. “Our customers are using more data than ever and we’re constantly investing in our network to meet...

Give four days’ notice before service disconnection, CRTC says

telecom | 07/06/2017 3:31 pm EDT

Telecommunications service providers must give customers a heads up of at least four business days before disconnecting or suspending a service to end users or another service provider, the CRTC said...

Ericsson chairman Leif Johansson stepping down

telecom | 07/05/2017 3:28 pm EDT

Leif Johansson, chairman of the board at Ericsson AB, will not be available for re-election at the...

Stakeholder meetings status quo for CRTC, Shoan argues

Media | 07/05/2017 3:11 pm EDT

The encounters with stakeholders that formed part of the rationale for his...

Canada in top 10 for cybersecurity: ITU report

telecom | 07/05/2017 3:07 pm EDT

Canada is a leading country in its commitment to cyber security, according to a new report by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). The Global Cybersecurity Index 2017 report, released Wednesday, listed Canada in...

Iristel brings another traffic pumping dispute to CRTC

telecom | 07/04/2017 5:49 pm EDT

Shaw Communications Inc.’s Freedom Mobile is refusing to pay Iristel Inc. for some services in a move that relates to an ongoing proceeding in front of the CRTC over traffic stimulation, Iristel...

No wholesale obligations for new broadband fund projects: telcos

telecom | 07/04/2017 5:17 pm EDT

Mandating wholesale access as a condition of funding for projects under the CRTC’s new broadband funding regime will increase costs while effectively discouraging investment, two of the country’s...

TNW Wireless files Part 1 over roaming agreements

telecom | 07/04/2017 3:54 pm EDT

A Northern mobile wireless provider is asking the CRTC to compel a pair of incumbents to strike roaming...

Videotron offering extra data to Unlimited Music subscribers

Media | 07/04/2017 3:37 pm EDT

Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron is increasing the data limits of wireless...

CRTC denies new Ottawa-Gatineau radio station

Media | 06/30/2017 4:15 pm EDT

The Ottawa-Gatineau radio market can’t sustain another station, the CRTC said in a Friday decision, and won’t consider an application for a new ethnic station in the area. The decision comes following a consultation launched in November, after the regulator received an application for a licence to operate a commercial ethnic AM station. “Although Ottawa-Gatineau currently benefits from positive economic indicators and a growing ethnic population, its radio revenues are decreasing, with many stations operating at a loss in recent years,” the CRTC said, adding that a new...

Civil society groups take aim at Five Eyes on encryption

Media | 06/30/2017 3:51 pm EDT

More than six dozen civil society organizations and individuals have come out to reiterate support for stronger data encryption in a letter addressed to a quintet of the world’s intelligence...

STB data measurement complex task, group says

Media | 06/30/2017 2:23 pm EDT

Activity by a working group tasked with studying the implementation of an audience measurement system via...

SaskTel CEO leaving company July 1

telecom | 06/29/2017 2:38 pm EDT

Saskatchewan Telecommunications Holding Corp.’s president and CEO, Ron Styles, will...

Antoinette Noviello promoted at Videotron

Media | 06/29/2017 12:57 pm EDT

Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron has named Antoinette Noviello vice-president, corporate comptroller. “Antoinette is now taking charge of all aspects of Videotron's financial and accounting operations, including credit-risk...

TNW Wireless, iFramed sold to U.S. company

Media | 06/28/2017 5:05 pm EDT

Investel Capital Corp.’s TNW Wireless Inc. has been sold to an American holding and management company, United American Corp., the Florida-based company announced in a Wednesday press release. TNW Wireless, which serves communities in northern British Columbia and the Yukon, includes the former RuralCom Capital Corp., which Investel acquired in December. It changed its name to TNW Wireless in February, according to a press release from earlier this year. The Vancouver-based Investel will become the largest single shareholder in UnitedCorp as a result of the transaction, Wednesday’s...

Plan comes together for TV subs boost in Shaw Q3: Mehr

telecom | 06/28/2017 2:26 pm EDT

Shaw Communications Inc.’s increased TV and Internet subscription numbers...

Five Eyes watching online terror content

Media | 06/28/2017 1:26 pm EDT

Representatives from the Five Eyes intelligence alliance have issued a statement lauding the creation of a coalition by some of the world’s biggest tech companies aimed at tackling terrorist content online. On...

Supreme Court’s Google search ban could have global implications

Media | 06/28/2017 10:07 am EDT

OTTAWA — In a landmark ruling, Canada’s top court dismissed an appeal...

Tech giants coordinating to tackle terror content

Media | 06/27/2017 6:05 pm EDT

Some of the world’s largest technology and social media companies are forming a coalition to counter terrorism. The Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism is being formed with the help of Facebook Inc., Microsoft...

EU fines Google 2.4B euros

Media | 06/27/2017 5:31 pm EDT

The European Union has fined Alphabet Inc.’s Google 2.4 billion euros — about $3.6 billion in Canadian dollars — for giving itself an “illegal advantage” in its...

Philippe Cloutier new Videotron CFO

Media | 06/27/2017 4:49 pm EDT

Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron has named Philippe Cloutier its senior vice-president and chief financial...

U.S. NAFTA consult targets CanCon, copyright, data rules

Media | 06/27/2017 4:11 pm EDT

American companies and organizations took aim at Canadian cultural...

Peter Menzies leaving CRTC in July

Media | 06/27/2017 12:41 pm EDT

The CRTC’s vice-chairman of telecom, Peter Menzies, is leaving the CRTC nearly a year before the end of...

Wireless promos up compared to last year: Barclays

telecom | 06/26/2017 4:58 pm EDT

Leading up to Canada’s 150th anniversary, wireless promotions from incumbents and their flanker brands have increased noticeably compared to last year, according to Barclays Capital analyst Phillip Huang. Promotions in the quarter encompassing April, May and June included Rogers Communications Inc. and Telus Corp. offering two extra gigabytes of data on top of certain data plans in most regions, while BCE Inc. began offering $270 off certain phones in Manitoba, Huang said in a Monday note. “While we do not believe any of these new plans were particularly disruptive to the...

CCSA leads lobbying after Hill visit

Media | 06/26/2017 2:55 pm EDT

Last month’s deluge of Canadian Cable Systems Alliance (CCSA) members on Parliament Hill for the...

LTE still has ‘untapped potential’: Desjardins

telecom | 06/26/2017 2:08 pm EDT

While 5G is expected to arrive in a couple of years, the LTE standard still has some room for growth, according to Desjardins Capital Markets analyst Maher Yaghi. Sprint Corp. and Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. announced in a...

Telus successfully tests 5G connection

telecom | 06/23/2017 1:58 pm EDT

Telus Corp. and Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. said in a Friday press release they have accomplished a 5G wireless connection using the global 3GPP technology standards platform. The companies said it’s “one of the most...

Privacy improvements in Bill C-59, but some concerns remain: experts

telecom | 06/22/2017 5:16 pm EDT

In their initial impressions of the government’s biggest attempt to...

New IoT network launched in Quebec

telecom | 06/22/2017 1:00 pm EDT

Quebec-based X-Telia has deployed a network dedicated to the Internet of Things (IoT) in Montreal, the company said in a press release Thursday. It said in the French-language release that it’s the first IoT-dedicated network in the province. The network uses Semtech Corp.’s long-range (LoRA) antennas, which are also being tested as part of 5G trials from Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron. They operate on the low power wide area network (LoRaWAN) developed by the non-profit LoRa Alliance. X-Telia plans to expand the network to the rest of Quebec and then to other provinces, it...

Videotron to open up 5G trial project to proposals

telecom | 06/21/2017 3:48 pm EDT

MONTREAL — Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron gave an update on the progress of a partnership focused on...

200 to join Amazon’s Toronto office

telecom | 06/21/2017 12:27 pm EDT

Amazon.com Inc. is poised to expand its Canadian workforce by 200 positions, the Ontario government...

Rogers reorganizes consumer unit, two execs leaving

telecom | 06/20/2017 6:28 pm EDT

Rogers Communications Inc.’s chief customer officer, Deepak Khandelwal, and chief brand officer Dale Hooper have decided to leave the company, as those two departments get rolled into a single unit, Rogers said. The new...

CSE to work more directly with telecoms on network security

telecom | 06/20/2017 5:38 pm EDT

OTTAWA — New national security legislation proposed Tuesday will enable...

SaskTel to boost Internet speeds in indigenous communities

telecom | 06/20/2017 2:56 pm EDT

Saskatchewan Telecommunications Holding Corp. will improve Internet service...

Judith LaRocque named acting CRTC chair for 4-month term

Media | 06/19/2017 5:52 pm EDT

Judith LaRocque has been appointed acting CRTC chairwoman for a four-month...

Blais evokes praise, criticism as he leaves CRTC

Media | 06/19/2017 5:36 pm EDT

Now that former chairman Jean-Pierre Blais has departed the CRTC after five years at the helm, he leaves...

Eastlink expanding gigabit Internet service

telecom | 06/19/2017 5:13 pm EDT

Bragg Communications Inc.’s Eastlink is making 1 GB Internet speeds more widely available and will target the consumer market. "For years, we have been providing Gigabit speeds and higher to our larger business customers...

CRTC unlocking decision could slightly increase churn: Desjardins

telecom | 06/16/2017 5:01 pm EDT

A move to ban device unlocking fees and mandate all new phones be sold unlocked by December could “slightly” increase churn rates, but the impact shouldn’t be material, Desjardins Capital analyst Maher Yaghi said in a research note Friday. The CRTC announced the new rules Thursday, as part of its decision on a review of the Wireless Code. He said the “Canadian wireless market does not encourage providers to use price cuts to win market share. Unless the market opens itself up to...